Learning to Fall in Love
by ImDiffrentSoWhat
Summary: Loki did make a promise to visit Jane, he expected to find a vapid girl like the ones that are Thor's usual conquests, he is shocked when he finds an intelligent, independent, beautiful woman. One who does not see him in Thor's shadow.
1. Learning to Fall in Love

She never met him.

Loki, the brother of Thor. The mischief maker, the god of lies. But she was willing to bet she knew him better then all of the Avengers did. Even his own brother, the man she once been infatuated with, Thor.

In the legends, as she had studied them, Loki was a trickster. Not good, but certainly not evil. He was simply a prankster, not enjoyable but certainly not a bad person. If the legends were true then he was just annoying at worse. Though she highly doubted the legends were completely true, whoever first wrote them probably didn't exactly interview the Asgardians and even if they had by now it had probably changed so much from the original text it was laughable.

She didn't know him. She didn't pretend to as his brother did. If he knew him as a brother ought to then he'd have at least an inkling why Loki did as he did. In all honesty from what she could tell as a third party observer was Loki was like a sibling in Thor's shadow. That he did pranks to get attention, because at some point even punishment would be worth it to know someone was paying attention to you.

He was probably smart to, magic-from the little she knew of it-was not something that just happened. Magic was just science that we don't understand yet, and just because the mechanism are understood doesn't make magic any less magic.

Loki buried himself in his studies to hide his pain and pranks to combat the loneliness. Hadn't she done something very similar? She was never anything above plain, not in her eyes. She was a plain child and it was such a natural thought to her that when she bloomed into beauty in high school she didn't notice. By then most boys were intimidated by her brains and honestly she had better things to do than simply date. She never did pranks to combat loneliness, she went to the stars.

She had always loved the stars, when she found that she could be a scientist with an expertise in stars she jumped for it. When she was younger she had even painted her room to be the stars. Dark blue, then hand painted white stars. She had written on one wall "Over the Stars" because she had always been curious at what laid past them.

She wondered absentmindedly if what she feels is what Loki may feel. Though she will probably never meet him and as such never ask him. She doesn't know him, and knows nothing of him, but still she can't help but feel sorry for him. She pushed thoughts of him away from her mind and got back to work on a theory she was working on before random thoughts invaded her mind.

She knew that didn't know him. And by admitting it she knew him better than anyone in the nine realms.

Loki knew this. Unlike his brother, who relied on his fist. Any problem simply hit it, very hard. Loki was well versed in subtlety, and so he listened and could hear when someone was thinking of him. So he listened to little Jane Foster. She was intelligent and that made her mind more clear for him to listen in to her musing. What he found astonished him.

Perhaps this simple Midgardian was more than a pretty face? No, she was much more then that. And so...Loki began to watch her.

He did, after all, plan to visit her.

It started slowly enough, he would be inside the window, and watched as she worked. Such a work ethic this Jane Foster had. She did not seem to mind that her theories were laughed at in everyone in the scientific community, though what these scientists didn't know was she was right. Her theories, though were a bit off were actually right. Which is why he suspected that Shield kept such a close eye on her.

And slowly, over the months he watched her, she seemed to change in his eyes. She was the same but he began to notice things in her that he hadn't before. Like how her brown hair reflected red in the sunlight and gold under the artificial lights. Her smile was beautiful, not the forced smile when the other two-Erick and Darcy-worried about her, but the true slow smile. When she figured something out or had an idea.

He also noticed other things, like she had a darkness in her. There is light and dark in everyone but she was different, she didn't seem to fear the darkness but didn't reject the light. She was both, fully and completely. He felt himself frown, his brother would never accept that of her, Thor was all good-he didn't believe in any kind of darkness though he was blind to his own. Thor was violent and hunted war out, that was darkness but it paraded as light. Jane's darkness was honest, it was what it was as her light was what it was. Thor wouldn't understand that, he'd want her to bury that part of herself.

The thought bothered him more then he would care to admit.

And then a few weeks later he noticed something else, her searching for Asgard withered. She seemed to have conflict in her eyes. It went on for weeks and he worried. Her searching seemed forced, as if she had an answer but searched furiously trying to disprove it. Had she given up on finding it?

Curious, he stepped out of the window and went to her, still invisible. Trying to see what she saw. He could not hold this form for long, a few hours before it became hard to do. And as he approached and looked over her shoulder his arm accidentally brushed her's as she sat at the desk with star maps spread over it.

And she screamed.

Not in fear, in frustration. She let out an almost battle like roar. Then her small, delicate fingers-now not seeming so delicate-crumpled her notes slightly as she squeezed them to a fist. "Fuck this." She muttered to herself and Loki was surprised. Such depth of emotion in those two words-more emotion then he's heard from her voice in the little over a year he had been watching her. "He's not coming back Jane, he's not coming back." She muttered and not a tear escaped. "His promises mean nothing." She said with sad realization. She had figured this long ago.

Loki feared her fire was gone, that she'd be nothing but a helpless maiden now. How wrong he was. Instead she swept everything of Asgard away from her and into a filing cabinet and began working on something new.

She was moving on from his older brother. And that made him happier then it should of.

And so, for months he watched her work, coming into her own even more then she had already. He would remain invisible for as long as he could before going to the window on the far side of her lab again. Then he started doing something he didn't do before, he followed her into her trailer, he stayed in her dressing mirror until she feel asleep then he would come out, completely visible, and sit on the side of her bed and watch her sleep. She was a restless sleeper, always turning and rolling over, mumbling about this nebula or that. The first night he watched her was the first night he wanted to crawl into bed with her and hold her steady against himself.

After the first night, he became even more addicted to her.

His whole world was based on what she was doing. She was...she was like those puzzles he used to do as a boy, their secrets tempting him and as he solved one bit of it the whole thing became even more amazing to him. No one had ever seemed half so appealing as the puzzles of his youth and she seemed even more so.

And she didn't know him.

He felt sad at that, it felt like he knew her and she did not him, the one person who just may not judge him-may understand him. He pushed that away, no she would be like all the others, she was human and he would lose her. She was Thor's woman even if he showed himself to her she wouldn't ever choose him over Thor. The very idea was insanity.

And yet the seed of hope planted itself into his cold heart.

Something was different about her, she was diving into her work with a new enthusiasm. She also picked the habit, of forgetting that her body needed sustenance and rest to keep functioning, up again. She worked tirelessly, studying the stars and taking notes at night and organizing them during the day. And he started to notice other things about her. Like how when she sat at her chair to type out and organize her notes her shoulders tensed up, and when she looked out telescopes she'd crane her neck as far as she could trying to get the perfect glimpse of the stars. He only started to notice because he once took notice of her rubbing her neck and as he noticed these things he wanted to help her. He had never wanted to help a human before, and never craved contact the way he does now. As a boy he craved his father's love and his brother's respect. But never craved the kind of contact as he wanted with her. But he knew it was impossible. Yet the impossibility just made her all the more alluring.

The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest.

So he started magicking food for her, the first time it had been a mug of hot chocolate with a peppermint stick in it. She liked to have it before bed on those occasions she tore herself from her work to prepare it. She liked to relax on the sofa and sip the chocolate slowly before going outside and just gazing at the stars as she finished off the peppermint stick from the cup. Not wondering anything about the stars, just enjoying them. It had honestly been hilarious to him the first time he did that, she had glanced towards it while looking for her pen and had snatched it and went back to her work before she whipped her head back to it as if noticing that it was there. She had stared at it for a few moments, rubbed her eyes and looked again, then so slowly as if she was unsure of her sanity she gently touched the mug. She recognized it as her mug because it was a midnight blue and had an almost sparkly sheen to it, it reminded her of the stars.

She had gently picked it up and sniffed the contents before looking around and seeing no one. Her gaze had fallen to the part of the window where Loki looked from and had stayed there for awhile with her brow furrowing and it seemed as if she could see him before shaking her head and with a gentle smile sat on the sofa to enjoy the beverage. He had smiled, his first warm true smile since realizing that he was a Frost Giant.

It became the norm for them. When he noticed she would rub her eyes more he would bring a cup of the hot chocolate to her and she would know her 'Visitor' as she started calling him would be telling her it was time for bed. And so she started entering the lab with a "good morning" and after the peppermint stick was gone she'd go into it again to tell him goodnight. He felt bittersweet at that, would she be as accepting if she knew who he was? And why was she accepting of it at all?

Erick would be the one to answer his question. He noticed the mug, two this time for his Jane cared for Erick like a father, and as such Loki figured that the man must be somewhat interesting so he had made him a cup of the beverage to and figured he'd be as accepting as Jane. Shocked by the mug he had asked her what it was and when she explained he had asked her why she was so accepting of it.

"Whoever it is, had to be watching for a long enough time to know I like this before bed when I remember to make it, and if they can find that out about me if they truly wished to hurt me they'd find another way if I didn't drink the coco." Jane said with a shrug and Erick had tried to fight it but she had refused. She had, in essence, defended Loki to her father figure. It had made him grin wickedly.

After Erick had left Jane had gone into the kitchen and pulled out several ingredients, some that he didn't know what the name of them was, and set to baking. An hour or two later she had three and a half dozen cookies in a container which she closed and put on the center of the counter before going into the lab.

"Okay, whoever you are, I've made cookies, so help yourself." She called feeling stupid that she was talking to a room before a quick goodnight and leaving. Loki didn't follow her right away but instead came out of the window and walked over to where she had set the cookies. He slowly opened the container and picked one up before taking a bite. His eyes widened at the taste, sweet and delicate and they were a tiny bit crunchy on the outside but warm and gooey on the inside. They were truly delicious. He had a few of them.

By the time he went to Jane's room she was sound asleep and he felt grateful to the girl that even though she was tired made him the cookies. He had noticed she had been going through a box and buying the ingredients about two or so days after he started giving her the hot chocolate. He felt the need to have some kind of contact with her stronger then ever, much too strong to ignore.

So slowly, ever so slowly, he began to edge closer to her. It started with her sleeping, he'd start by sitting on the side of her bed and brushing her hair off her face. He knew his hands were cold, they had always been a bit icy and he now knew it was from the fact that he was a Frost Giant, but be that as it may Jane leaned into his touch.

The first time that happened his brow furrowed and he was confused, his fingertips had barely brushed her skin and he expected for her to pull away, a unconscious movement from the cold, yet she seemed to seek out the cold. He experimentally place his palm against her face fully, cupping her cheek and was even more shocked when she nuzzled into it. As his brow furrowed he noticed that the trailer lacked any heating even though the desert nights were frigid and all she slept with was a light blanket and it only covered from her knees to her stomach. Did she enjoy the cold?

That went on for a week, and each night he would spend hours tracing her face with fingertips as soft as a butterfly's wing, the scant moment of contact both soothed him and made him crave more. On exactly the seventh night his fingertips brushed her brow her hand came up and gripped his, holding it to her face and letting off a content sigh. Loki found himself biting his lip and fighting desperately hard to remember that she wasn't conscious, that she didn't know him and she would never be his.

The morning after she dressed in one of his favorite outfits on her. He'd only seen it twice in over a year that he had been watching her but he always thought how beautiful it looked on her, showing an almost icy sophisticated side of her. Every time she wore it he was reminded of how much Thor could never give her what she needed, she needed someone strong in mentality. She wore a form fitting black pencil skirt, a maroon red silk button up shirt that had three fourth sleeves. She put her hair in a bun allowing a few strands to fall down and frame her face and added simple diamond stud earring and completed the outfit with Mary-janes. He knew she must be going to one of her scientist conventions and felt himself frown as he knew they would laugh at her theories.

She was strong and brave, or insane and incredibly stupid. She would go and submit her theories and be a laughing stock by the scientists who thought they knew what was and was not possible. He was just a deity from ancient people made to explain why bad things happen and that was all, he didn't even exist. Which showed how much they truly knew. He knew some of them would laugh thinking this is what happens when you make a woman a scientist-she goes off of science fiction. Others would think she was just jumping to conclusions. Very few thought perhaps, just possibly, she may be on to something and hundreds of years from now she may be thought of as a visionary. Loki knew _now_ that she was a visionary. And she was too good for the people of this plant.

However as she was preparing to leave they both heard a boom of thunder that had shaken the whole trailer. Jane wobbled and Loki quickly used his magic to move a chair for her to steady herself on. He never moved things to her before, besides the hot chocolate but that was just something that he could not explain that was almost sacred between them, but he had reacted on instinct. Jane was just getting her balance back when someone came into her trailer.

Thor.

Loki felt his heart turn to ice. He knew what would happen, her brown eyes would spark and she'd call out his brother's name in such a happy manner and run into his arms. And Loki would be in the window, worlds away and he'd lose her even though he never had her. The hot chocolate would stop because he'd leave her be and she'd wonder if it was Thor doing it. Let her think it was, it would be better. Though Thor truly was as romantic as dirt and he didn't understand why so many women in so many realms thought of him in such a romantic sense. If either brother was romantic it would be Loki, if anyone would ever give him the chance to _be_ romantic, however this was Jane's choice and as long as it made her happy...But he didn't hear running, or her happiness.

"What are you doing here?" Jane had asked simply and that surprised Loki enough to stay and watch when he had been ready to leave.

Thor's bright smile diminished slightly and he looked confused. "What? I promised I'd come back for you.." He said slowly and Jane heaved a sigh.

"Yes you did, welcome back, Erick and Darcy will be glad to see you." She said maintaining her distance from him.

"Jane Foster..." Thor whispered looking at her sadly, she seemed so much different then the Jane he knew. "I thought...well, I thought we cared for one another." He said unsure.

Jane sighed and rubbed the space right above her eyebrows. "Yes Thor, I care about you and I want you to be happy." She said simply rubbing her arm in an uncomfortable fashion. Loki's brows furrowed as he tried to reason what was going on with her. Thor smiled again and tried to reach out to take her arm but she side stepped him.

"I don't understand," Thor mumbled looking at her with his bright blue eyes, "you just said you care for me."

"Yes, I care for you, but I..." Jane trailed off and looked very uncomfortable. "I just don't want to be with you, in that way." She said and winced slightly, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Thor. He just wasn't the right man for her.

"But I thought we..." He said looking at her shocked.

"I thought so to, in the moment." She said shrugging and looking very uncomfortable. "But we don't know each other, do we?" She asked looking at him with her bright brown eyes and Loki's heart stopped.

"We-" Thor started but then stopped, his face took on a look of concentration as he thought. In truth he didn't know her. What was her favorite color? Did she enjoy what he enjoyed? Were they really compatible? He didn't really know anything about her. Anything besides she was smart, a hard worker, and fought for what she believed in. "don't."

"The last thing I wanted was to hurt you." Jane said sadly rubbing her arm and looking like she'd want to be anywhere but here in this moment.

"No your right, we should be with someone we know truly." Thor said and his mind flashed to Sif, and for the first time he didn't feel guilty for that. "But, can we still be friends?" He asked with a gentle smile and was answered by Jane's.

"I'd like that." She said smiling the slightest bit.

Thor stayed for about a week and Loki felt relieved where he didn't seem to treat Jane any different from Erick or Darcy and she treated Thor no different then the other two. And once Thor left the dreams started. Loki found himself fascinated by her few mumblings in sleep and so entered her dreams and was happy to find her.

She looked at him and did not wonder at the sense of peace she found and instead waved to him with her gentle smile. For awhile he would just be in her dreams, observing her. After a few weeks Darcy's internship ran out and she had to go back to her school and Erick took a job teaching in Toronto with a friend...Logan something or other. And Loki saw her melancholy and would approach her and take her hand or hold her in her dream. A month later in her dream he couldn't resist speaking to her any longer.

"Hello Jane." He said with a slow smile spreading on his face, he had never been able to talk to her. She smiled and came over to him smiling.

"Hello, who are you?" She asked and he took her hand. So strange, just the slightest bit warm but still just a hint of coolness to her skin and it was smooth and soft.

"You know me as your visitor but my name's Loki." He whispered watching her closely and she just smiled the slightest bit.

"Loki..." she whispered gently as if trying the name out and Loki suppressed a shudder of hearing his name on her lips. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand, and his fingers were cold against hers.

"Why?" She asked gently looking up at him, "you've must of known things about me, so why have you been watching me and giving me hot chocolate?" She asked quietly looking at him with those brown eyes of hers.

"At first I was curious, then..." He whispered before trailing off.

"Then?" She prompted watching him.

And then she awoke.

She, for a split second, thought she may have seen something in her dresser mirror before she brushed it off as a dream. Laying back down trying to calm her racing heart Jane fell into a fitful sleep and awoke with bags under her eyes. Not feeling like even dressing in her normal jeans and shirt she instead put on a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt she wore when she wished for comfort over looking put together.

She did not go straight to work today, she stood in front of the table with her spreadsheets and notes and just stared, unseeingly, into them. Loki felt worry gnaw at him as he watched her closely. Did she hate him now? Had he lost her before he even had her?

She turned slowly as if searching for something. Her eyes went over every spot in the lab, searching. And slowly he noticed something he hadn't been paying attention to. She was holding two mugs of her preferred drink before bed. One was her standard, favorite mug, while the other was a dark hunter green that was the same shape as her blue mug but just the different color and missing the subtle sparkling.

"Loki?" Jane whispered gently looking around feeling both anxious and incredibly stupid. "Are you here?" She bit her lip gently and against his better instincts Loki stepped out, he couldn't deny her anything. She looked slightly startled that he actually came but recovered quickly and held out the green mug to him. "You've been making this for me for months, time I repay the favor." She said keeping her eyes on him as he reached out and took the slowly cooling coco and his fingertips gently brushed hers.

Jane looked at her fingertips that still held the essence of Loki's touch on them for a few moments before returning it to her own mug and taking a sip. Loki, for his part, felt the pleasant warmth of her skin again and tried to enjoy it before sipping the coco that he had never tried. It was rich and creamy and left the tiniest bit of a cooling sensation after drinking it. It was the first food or drink he had of Midgard, warm like Jane yet giving off a slightly cool aftertaste.

Still watching her as she took a sip of her own drink and saw her occasionally peek at him he felt his hand, of it's own accord, lift and brush her cheek. Jane let out a small gasp and looked up at him. His hands were cold, not frosty but just a bit under the normal temperature.

Loki waited, waited for her to cry out, or faint. Then he immediately amended that thought, more like slap him and demand he leave and never come within a hundred feet of her again. That was more Jane's style, she wasn't a helpless maiden. However she did neither of these things, she instead looked up into his eyes, amber meeting emerald with curiosity and caution in both their depths.

"It's nice, to finally officially meet you." Jane said looking at him silently afterword. Loki allowed a slow smile to grace his regal features. This mortal...she was interesting. Each time he was sure he had figured something out about her she just surprised him again.

"It is nice to meet the woman who made such a change in Thor." He said with a smirk watching her silently. She merely raised an eyebrow at him, months of watching her and her more astounding quality was that she made a change in Thor? Though since the Norse Gods were eternal it would be the quality with the most longevity. Looking down at her charts Loki gave a small smile, "I am unaccustomed to Midgardian constellations, from what I understand your profession would be suitable in educating me of them?" Loki asked and relaxed as a excited light came into Jane's eyes and she turned to the charts and began explaining each star and consolation to him.

Loki enjoyed this, her easiness about him, and the stars she loved so were not as breathtaking as the ones in his home but he enjoyed them just the same. He knew Jane would _love_ the stars on Asgard, he had always liked the stars to. As a hobby, their was no professions in studying them on Asgard.

As the day drew on Loki relaxed all the more as his Jane finished explaining all the stars to him. His coco had long been drained and he, not caring for the cool aftertaste of the peppermint for it reminded him too much of his heritage, gave it to Jane to enjoy.

Jane had never minded being alone, in fact their were plenty of times where she preferred it. But she didn't mind having Loki around, she had a feeling that if she were to ask he would leave, he'd probably leave forever if she wanted.

Gently taking his hand in hers, Jane decided she didn't mind having him around for awhile.

And for the first time since learning of his heritage, Loki felt at peace.

As time wore on Loki noticed Jane rub her eyes more and more and stifle a few yawns. An amused grin overtaking his features as he pulled a pen out of Jane's relaxed grip and gently pushed her towards her trailer. "Where are you going to stay?" She asked rubbing her eye again, she was actually kind of...cute.

"I don't require sleep." Loki said shrugging as he watched her give him a leveled gaze, few would have the guts to do that.

"Erick's trailer still has a bed and linens, you can use that." Jane said simply and her amber gaze just dared him to argue. She was quiet amusing to be around, which was one of the reasons he seemed to just gravitate towards her.

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled holding his hands up and enjoyed her smirk as she turned and headed for her trailer.

"Goodnight Loki." She said simply leaving, as if it was an everyday occurrence for the God of Mischief, Chaos and Lies to spend the day with her talking about stars.

"Sweet dreams, Lady Jane." He whispered after her before heading to the trailer that she had designated his for his visit. He knew how to pick his battles. And her caring for him, that hadn't been something he'd have happen to him for centuries.

Entering the slightly stuffy trailer Loki easily spied the bed on one end freshly made as if waiting for him. It was modest, with a small kitchenette and a sitting space. A door which upon examination led to a clean, if basic, bathroom and a small mirror set on the wall beside the bathroom door. It was, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of Jane's trailer. However it was far different, her trailer was warmer with a "lived in" feel. The cupboards held a few mugs and a teapot for those rare instances she wanted some of the tea, there were stacks on stacks of scientific journals she hadn't read through yet, and her bed was often unmade. Here however the only thing it had that her trailer didn't was the musk of stale air.

Nothing here in this realm could ever compare to the majestic Asgard Loki still felt himself rather be here, even in this stuffy trailer, then there. But still being slightly edgy he headed for Jane's trailer. She was his calm place.

Entering he found her in a repose close to sleep. He could tell by her absence of any movement that she was not yet asleep but somewhere in between. Smiling a bit he walked over to her and took his seat at her bedside. The slight dipping of the mattress didn't disturb her and neither did his hand gently caressing her face. Smiling gently Loki felt somehow he was encroaching on her space, it had been different when she did not know truly that he was here but after her giving an entire day to him it felt underhanded to steal her night without her permission.

Some form of honor, honor that many would believe he never had in the first place, compelled him to leave until she of her own free will invited him to his favorite activity so with a sigh of resignation as he realized he would soon be exiling himself to the stuffy trailer that would be his home for however long he could hold on to the fantasy of Jane, he leaned down to brush a kiss on her brow.

After all, the mayter was a role he had been playing for a long time. Hidden as it was.

When he left Jane had a small smile gracing her lips. When she awoke she was certain it was a dream, that there was no way it actually happened. But when she entered the lab Loki was there, holding out a plate of eggs, toast and bacon. He had an identical plate himself and Jane smile grew. They both sat at the table in the tiny corner of it that didn't house loose leaf pages of notes and just teased each other good humorously.

It was surprisingly easy, the pattern they fell into. They were alike in many ways, both lived in worlds that they truly didn't belong in and would never accept them. Loki, a Frost Giant and even as a child there had been some sort of _otherness_ about him. Jane, regarded as a nutcase working on Fringe science even though she _knew_ that she was right and had _evidence_ that she was right. Evidence S.H.I.E.L.D. refused to allow her to publish. Loki was one of the few people who could understand what she was saying, even when she jumped from one topic to another going from history to physics to classic literature in as many breaths. And she was the only one who had a similar humor to his own and found his pranks funny.

It progressed slowly, they honestly were the best of friends. The first friend Loki had ever had. She didn't look at him and see the sidekick to Thor, he wasn't living in his brother's shadow for at least this one thing. To Jane he was Loki. Just Loki, not someone's son, not someone's brother. He stood on his own.

So it came as a shock when he slowly started wanting to be around Jane for other reasons than just her company. He loved her company and she was one of the few people who could make him smile and the only person who truly made him feel comfortable. But he began wanting to be around her more and more, when he looked into her eyes the time that elapsed escaped both of them, and as he tried to figure out what these things were coming from his entire state shifted. Great, he was falling in love.

Jane was different from the woman Thor normally took. They were always tall, blonde, and beautiful and they seemed only to exist to enlarge his ego and service him. They didn't really think for themselves outside of clothing and men and were as easily replaceable as the dresses they took so much time making sure looked impeccable on them.

Jane however was of average height, had caramel hair and did most defiantly have a mind of her own. While she was Thor's friend she was not blind to his flaws, a rare enough trait, and was _smart_. That with the fact that she _was_ quiet beautiful...

It wasn't as if he hadn't _noticed_ before. Of course he had, but he had been so sure she'd be like Thor's other conquests and in truth nothing was more unattractive to him then stupidity. But after seeing just how amazing she was he was wrapped up in her personality and her beauty was a secondary thing to him. It still was but that wouldn't deplete from the fact that she _is_ a beauty.

Turning to see said beauty Loki couldn't help but smile in return to her warm smile. She looked heavenly today in a white sundress, he had talked her into taking a break from work today and enjoying a nice picnic. They were in a small town in Ohio or something, where Jane was speaking to a fellow researcher who was also in fringe science and had a theory. Listening in on it the man was actually very close to being right.

Jane and Loki themselves were going on something called a "picnic" while he did not know much about Midgardian sayings and rituals he was quickly catching up on them. He knew if he were to ever talk to his brother that he'd know more about Midgard than he would. It was actually quiet interesting, these sayings and finding where they come from.

They went to a park, it was cliché but even though it was crowded it was better picnicking weather then the desert offered. Loki, having in the weeks of his friendship with Jane steadily going through her few books that were not scientific related found that he liked poetry. So it wasn't a shock when she had quickly stopped by a bookstore on the way to the park and had bought two different poetry books.

Then spreading out a powder blue blanket so they didn't have to sit on the grass they sat down and put the basket between them and began to enjoy the day. Jane had packed cut cheese, meat, fruit, and crackers along with several bottles of water. It was very different from Asgard where proportions were big and almost everything was meat of one form or another, and talk was loud and rambunctious. He found he preferred this, slow, delicate, and enjoyable As they talked quietly eating Loki found himself more and more intrigued by her. Lady Jane Foster. He himself had charmed his clothing to look like Midgardian clothing since the contraption of _jeans_ were extremely _uncomfortable_.

They ate their food leisurely, so different then on Asgard where the meals were heavy and everyone ate quickly. They were in the shade of a mighty tree which Loki was leaning against as Jane laid on the other side of the basket with one arm supporting her head. She had one of the poetry books in front of her and was reading softly, her voice almost a lullaby as Loki shut his eyes and listened to her speak.

_Your ghost will walk, you lover of trees,  
(If our loves remain)  
In an English lane,  
by a cornfield-side a-flutter with poppies  
commends to me the strainer and the cup  
thy lip hath bettered ere it blesses mine. _

Jane read slowly but Loki's eyes widened at the last line and his eyes turned to watch her intently.

_Well-counselled, king, in thy munificence!  
For so shall men remark, in such an act  
of love for him whose song gives life its joy  
thy recognition of the use of life;  
nor call thy spirit barely adequate  
to help on life in straight ways, broad enough  
for vulgar souls, by ruling and the rest.  
Thou, in the daily building n thy tower-  
whether in fierce and sudden spasms of toil,  
or through dim lulls of unapparent growth  
or when the general work mid good acclaim _

Her reading was cut off by a pair of cooled lips meeting hers. Jane's eyes widened to see Loki, kissing her. Her shock wore off and she hesitantly kissed him back. And as they broke apart from the chaste kiss that lost nothing in the sweetness and passion despite it's short existence they both smiled at each other. Jane began reading again, this time however she was snuggling into Loki's side as they both laid against the tree.


	2. Author's Note

**Crap, I am so sorry, I have completly forgotten to mention the poem Jane was reading. I am glad someone said something before anyone wrongly assumed it was mine. That's the last thing I want anyone to think. It was a poem called _Cleon_ by Robert Browning. **


End file.
